Flamiche au Maroilles

This is one of the recipes that I learned with Jeffrey Hamelman at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center, delightful! It is a brioche based "tart" full of  rich flavors.

Maroilles is a cow's-milk cheese made in the region of Nord-Pas-De-Calais in northern France, from where it obtained its AOC in 1976. It has a strong smell and it is quite salty, therefore I suggest you not to add salt to the recipe, the cheese will do it for you.

Ingredients
128 gr Brioche dough  
128 gr Maroilles cheese, shredded
170 gr Crème fraiche  
2 Large free range eggs
Pepper to taste

1. Preheat your over to 375°F/ 190°C. Roll out the brioche dough to 2mm. Fit ino a 9" fluted tart mold. Set aside and let rest for an hour.
2. Whisk together the crème fraiche, eggs and pepper. 
3. Spread cheese over the brioche and pour the egg mixture over the cheese. 
4. Bake the flamiche for about 30 minutes. It will be puffed and golden when fully baked.

Enjoy!

Baked Break

Last week I took a small break from the routine and headed to Vermont to learn how to set up a successful bakery, although most of the subjects reviewed on this course I already knew from university, it was very interesting to learn, to hear from a professional baker, who has been through the setting and opening of a successful bakery.
I didn't know what to expect abut this course, I thought everyone would be professional bakers or chefs who are looking to expand their businesses, but no, actually I was the only chef in the class, and some other people were clueless about cooking and baking.

It felt great to be back into a real kitchen, even though it was just for a few moments. This course is imparted by Jeffrey Hamelman, a great baker with more than 30 years and a loong, extensive incredible experience in baking. What I loved about Jeffrey is his passion for what he does, he has this special way of guiding you through everything at the bakery, from the place and equipment to the hands on and baking.I wasn't expecting any practical work at the course, I was going for pure theory, but I'm glad we got to bake a few things, basic recipes that any baker must know, like croissants, brioche and baguettes, and the many varieties you can come up with from this basics. Jeff has this way of explaining the "whys" from it in a very understandable way, that even mortals can get it. I haven't had this much joy, pleasure and enjoyment in such a long time, I am very happy I decided to fly half a world for this 3 day course.

Something that I loved and admire very much from Jeffrey is the way he passes on his knowledge. He is confident about his accomplishments, being able to transmit all his passion and secrets. He is not afraid of letting you know the proper way. Not for nothing he is a master baker.

The King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center is located in Norwich VT, a small town, that when I checked on Google maps where the F I was going to, seemed to me like I was heading to the middle of nowhere; right across the river from Hanover NH. It is a very nice town, kind of colonial looking place, very cozy. I've heard Vermont is a beautiful state and I got there during snow season, right after new years and I loved it, SUPER cold but gorgeous.